SAVING JOBS FOR EMPLOYEES
WORKING PARTNERS
Good employees are in high demand. This is especially true in the manufacturing belt that weaves through the hills of Catawba County, North Carolina. The strenuous demands of production-line work have taken their toll on area workers, and the resulting stress shows up in the form of troubled families, substance abuse and other problems.
Many businesses in this area are family-owned and operated. Employers here often have firsthand experience with the struggles of production-line work. So when employees' troubles surface, employers take them seriously, not simply because every worker is an asset but also because individual problems affect the quality and productivity of the work environment in which everyone participates.
The rewards of business success-high productivity, a stable labor force, and not coincidentally, public recognition-are tied directly to business practices that support employees. The success of Quaker Furniture is a good example.
Clyde Lail, Catawba County former Small Business Person-of-the-Year, developed Quaker Furniture from a one-person firm 1966 into one of the area's top companies today. Lail, who was raised on a dairy farm and has a seventh-grade education, currently employs a 90-person manufacturing force and a sales staff of 40 people.
Mr. Lail's employees are featured in the glossy advertisements for Quaker Furniture. He attributes the company's success to them, and he considers their welfare the company's welfare. That is why safety is an important issue at Quaker Furniture. When Quaker appeared to have high workers' compensation claims a few years ago, they hired Libba Gaither, an industrial nurse, to work 20 hours a week. She was instrumental in initiating a formal substance abuse policy even though Quaker's safety rules allowed her-in her current role-to intervene in substance abuse problems. Within a year of Gaither's arrival on site, workers' compensation claims were reduced by one-half.
Ms. Gaither's presence has ensured a high-quality environment for employees at Quaker. Employees feel comfortable asking for her help with almost any concern. Her advice, referrals, and availability mean that employees' troubles can be recognized before they interfere with work.
Supervisors have found themselves competing to achieve the highest safety ratings from Gaither. These in-house rewards form a significant part of company culture, and the resulting business profits add up: reduced insurance claims, high quality products, and an award-winning growing company.
Quaker Furniture has a drug-testing program and a policy of holding jobs for employees who require a leave of absence for substance abuse assistance. Lail's son, Gary Lail, believes that the safety and quality of the work environment are the best rewards of a drug policy that keeps drug users from applying for jobs. Employees have remarked that the substance abuse and drug testing policy makes them feel safer because they count on everyone to be attentive when operating powerful cutting and nailing tools in close quarters. The attentiveness to employee safety at Quaker ensures the safety of profits as well.